The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is sending a dedicated Passport Intervention Team to the United Kingdom from Monday to tackle pending passport applications and provide fresh enrolment and renewal services for Nigerians living in the country.
The intervention, directed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is scheduled to begin on August 10, 2026, and will be conducted in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, according to a statement by the NIS Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi.
The exercise is aimed at applicants whose passport applications remain pending, Nigerians seeking passports for the first time and holders whose existing passports have less than one year before expiry and are due for renewal.
READ RELATED NEWS UPDATES
Rather than requiring applicants to travel to a single location, the intervention team will move across designated cities in the UK to conduct passport enrolment and processing. The NIS said the specific cities, dates, venues, and enrolment times would be communicated through the official channels of the Nigerian High Commission.
The Service cautioned applicants against turning up at any location before the official timetable is released.
Applicants attending the exercise will be required to present their completed application forms and evidence of payment, the statement added.
The intervention provides an additional processing route for Nigerians in the UK while the NIS maintains its existing digital services. The Service said its Contactless Passport Application System and home delivery service would continue to operate throughout the exercise.
The NIS did not disclose the number of applications currently awaiting processing in the UK, but its decision to deploy a specialised team specifically to address pending applications places the passport backlog at the centre of the exercise.
The intervention also covers new applications and renewals, aimed at widening the exercise beyond applicants already caught up in delays.
Akinlabi said the programme was being implemented under the direction of Tunji-Ojo and in partnership with the Nigerian High Commission, giving the exercise both an immigration-service and diplomatic dimension.
For applicants, the immediate requirement is to wait for the official schedule before making arrangements to attend any of the designated centres. The NIS said the announcement of venues and enrolment times would come through the High Commission’s recognised communication channels.
The Service also reiterated that applicants could continue to use its digital passport platforms while the physical intervention exercise takes place.
